Walking with giants, weanie beanie

Ross Keith Thompson

Verified Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Messages
168
From
madisonville, texas
Tall slim handsome man about in his forties when I met him or played him. Actually we were never introduced but I knew him and he knew me.

No doubter about his one pocket game, when I watched his game in Vegas 72 at the Stardust I immediately knew he was top tier at the game.

Had a great stroke and moved like R. Allen and Jersey Red, ran out like a pro, hell he was a pro, lol.

We were both in the one-pocket division at the Stardust Hotel.
I watched his matches nightly as he totally dominated his bracket.

About five days later Myself and Bill Staton (BEANIE) were the only unbeatens left in the tourney playing the semi-final.

No opponent had won one game against Beanie until we played!
He had shut out everyone in a race to 3, that was 5,6,7 opponents whatever.

He was truly on top of his game and I had to play him next.

He got first break in rotate break, never got out of his break, but he never got out of mine either but he did have first break, (THAT'S MY EXCUSE AND I'M STICKING TO IT) three to two Beanie, down I went like the Titanic, busted my ego.

But it was cool playing against a True Giant of the game even though I didn't win.

Really wanted to play him one day to establish pecking order. Wanted to test him, Rempe, R. Florence, and Kelly. That's where my pecking order was, never got a chance to do it and my game was off my prime in 72 at the Stardust, had been painting for 2.50 an hour for 4-5 months until the stardust tourney. Hey! I had to do something!LOL

There is no doubt in my mind that anyone alive couldn't spot Beanie an extra piece of chalk and win, he was truly a power to be reckoned with in one pocket.

In 72 my game wasn't it's best so I'll concede to Beanie but at my best I may have been his equal and there was only a few that was my equal but he was super good, could have played Ronnie or Jersey Red even one pocket especially in 72, he won the one-pocket division that year, I was in awe Walking with Giants!
 

beatle

Verified Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Messages
3,572
you played real well then for sure. a few had the experience factor on you but you were just as good. good for you but bad for pool when you disappeared from the scene.
i watched much of that tournament and bet on beenie whenever i could get down. he didnt dump.
lots of dumps in the nine ball and easy to make money off the rail betting when the fix was in you just had to know what to look for and know the players.

the dumping which some of the big bosses at the stardust and dunes got taken pretty good is probably part of the biggest reason for pool getting the axe in the good vegas casinos. the big nine ball tournament in 91 where they dumped to mike lebraun was the icing on the cake for pool. did they think they could all get down betting on a 20 to 1 shot and not have the bosses find out. pool players are born stupid and never get smarter it seems. you never dump to the guy that cant make a ball as it stinks to high heaven.
 

keoneyo

Verified Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2014
Messages
2,883
The story I heard about Weenie Beenie, who was a legend in my time, which was expounded by Grady, was that when Staton fell in love with the game he was a fish and would just go off. But he refused to quit.
He just got better and better and wouldnt let go.
He finally became one of the better players and highest of gamblers at the time. By the time I got to know him he was already retired and living a good life. A true hero.
 

androd

Verified Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2008
Messages
7,718
From
New Braunfels tx.
Well when he was younger he went off a lot, then he beat Cleo Vaughn for a big score, he then became one of the boys.
He'd steal a hot stove with no gloves, and as Beatle said, if stuck go off like a rocket.
Try to cheat any way he could just like everyone else. Sometimes it worked sometimes not.
 

NH Steve

Administrator
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
12,283
From
New Hampshire
Beenie is one of the legends I was fortunate to be able to interview not too long before he died. He talked about the turning point in his game when he beat Cleo Vaughn, and he also talked about his biggest loss. My interview is here:

http://www.onepocket.org/StatonInterview.htm

Another interesting angle to Beenie is that he mentored the late Mike Surber, who went on to become a pretty highly regarded one pocket player himself, but who was murdered a few years ago in an apparent robbery/murder. His killer is still out there...
 

gulfportdoc

Verified Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2004
Messages
12,654
From
Gulfport, Mississippi
Very nice interview, Steve. I don't think I've read it since you first did it in '05. Your interview collection is a treasure trove of information about players and their eras. Really good stuff!

BTW, I'm sure that Tom W. knew Beanie, since he was undoubtedly a Jack & Jill's graduate...:) Maybe he has some Beanie stories. I never had the pleasure of meeting Staton. Just never ran into him.

~Doc
 

Jimmy B

Verified Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2007
Messages
6,897
I met him and talked to him a while. But we just talked about Myrtle Beach. Nothing about pool. He was unusually outgoing and friendly...
 

Bill

Verified Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2005
Messages
287
From
Washington DC
Tall slim handsome man about in his forties when I met him or played him. Actually we were never introduced but I knew him and he knew me.

No doubter about his one pocket game, when I watched his game in Vegas 72 at the Stardust I immediately knew he was top tier at the game.

Had a great stroke and moved like R. Allen and Jersey Red, ran out like a pro, hell he was a pro, lol.

We were both in the one-pocket division at the Stardust Hotel.
I watched his matches nightly as he totally dominated his bracket.

About five days later Myself and Bill Staton (BEANIE) were the only unbeatens left in the tourney playing the semi-final.

No opponent had won one game against Beanie until we played!
He had shut out everyone in a race to 3, that was 5,6,7 opponents whatever.

He was truly on top of his game and I had to play him next.

He got first break in rotate break, never got out of his break, but he never got out of mine either but he did have first break, (THAT'S MY EXCUSE AND I'M STICKING TO IT) three to two Beanie, down I went like the Titanic, busted my ego.

But it was cool playing against a True Giant of the game even though I didn't win.

Really wanted to play him one day to establish pecking order. Wanted to test him, Rempe, R. Florence, and Kelly. That's where my pecking order was, never got a chance to do it and my game was off my prime in 72 at the Stardust, had been painting for 2.50 an hour for 4-5 months until the stardust tourney. Hey! I had to do something!LOL

There is no doubt in my mind that anyone alive couldn't spot Beanie an extra piece of chalk and win, he was truly a power to be reckoned with in one pocket.

In 72 my game wasn't it's best so I'll concede to Beanie but at my best I may have been his equal and there was only a few that was my equal but he was super good, could have played Ronnie or Jersey Red even one pocket especially in 72, he won the one-pocket division that year, I was in awe Walking with Giants!

Mike Surber and myself graduated from the University of Jack and Jill. Beanie was a hustler but he was also a very good man. Didn't hesitate to show us kids the ropes. We witnessed the best players pool had to offer and took it all in. Definitely learned so much in his 24 hr poolroom. RIP Beanie and certainly RIP Mike ... that pos has it coming one of these days Mike. Hope you're both resting well. Billy
 
Top